Disability Services at JU

July 26, 2022

students walking outside PW building

Johnson University’s Office of Disability Services is committed to supporting and resourcing students on both campuses who have disabilities. Our goal is make sure students with documented disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities and can receive the accommodations they need to pursue their education.

The Office of Disability Services is on our Tennessee campus in Richardson Hall 265. The staff here support both campuses.

What is a disability?

A student is considered a person with a disability, eligible for protection under the law, if the student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Disabilities include impairments caused by accident, trauma, genetics, or disease that substantially limit major life activities such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learning, caring for oneself, and working. Disabling conditions include epilepsy; paralysis (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis); HIV infection; AIDS; a substantial hearing or visual impairment; intellectual disability; psychiatric disability; cancer; heart disease; diabetes; or a specific learning disability.

Conditions not considered a disability include minor, non-chronic conditions of short duration, such as a concussion, sprain, broken limb, or the flu. However, if you have an unexpected injury or surgery, we can help you inform your professors about the situation and connect you with an academic coach who can help you study the material you missed in class.

How can I get started?

To ensure accessibility for students with disabilities, the University provides reasonable accommodations through Special Services. The University accepts students who meet its admission requirements without regard to disability. To ensure nondiscrimination, students must complete all prerequisites for admission before requesting assistance from Special Services.

Students can start the process by visiting the Disability Services section of our website to download forms including the Request for Reasonable Accommodations. After you submit the forms, the staff will connect with you to explain the process and discuss next steps.

It’s our honor to work with students who have disabilities and to help them have a great experience at Johnson. Contact us to learn more!